Your Logic Is Flawed
by Winged Galaxy Dragon
Summary: "Your path of reasoning makes no sense, woman." Ulquiorra pointed out blandly. "Perhaps not to you. Not yet anyways." Orihime quipped back, readjusting her hairpins. The 4th Espada made no reply, instead leaving the room as his thoughts churned. UlquxOri
1. Chapter 1

It taunted her. Glittering, shining, luminescent in all it's lonely freedom in the sky. It appeared to say "Look- I'm free! You're not!" laughing at her, as it spilled the watery milky light into the plain room, the pallor silver reflecting off of the bleach white walls. It perched there in the sky, as smug as an eternal crescent moon could look, never rising and never setting, setting askew all sense of time and being as the sands below remained unstirred by neither a breeze nor living creature.

The moon leered at Orihime in a sick sort of glee as she blew a strand of fiery hair from her eyes and slid down the wall in heavy disappointment. She looked beside her at the couch she'd dragged over to the window, and the pillows and chairs balanced haphazardly atop it, stretching up to the high window. Escape was futile; she knew this well, yet the moon in all its perverse tormenting had only widened its personified grin as she had gazed listlessly out at the unchanging landscape. The sand, as finely grained as powder, shone with the dull luster of the moon. The skeletal, convoluted trees shivered in the barren land, spread out over unreasonably long distances.

It wasn't fair, she thought- everything here was alone. That awful moon, those sickly trees, herself; each was alone. The trees could see their companions she imagined, but would never be able to be with them, isolated within their individual spits of land. The moon shone on relentlessly, as though compensating for the stars she knew would add more life to the dead black sky otherwise.

"I wonder if the moon and trees here are lonely as well." She whispered, seeing the shadow in front of her from her peripheral as she traced designs on the cold marble floor. The shadow's head tilted to the side a fraction, the odd and out of place protrusion from an otherwise normal head accentuating the fact. Whether or not her guard was aware of this action he performed whenever something she said or did confounded him, Orihime did not know. All she knew was that as weeks had extended into months, little things about him had become more obvious to her. Imperceptible to others she was sure- but to herself, having seen only him for the longest, loneliest time, these personality traits manifested themselves to her. She doubted even Ulquiorra was aware he did these things.

She knew from experience with this wall of ice, that the barely there tilt of his head meant he wanted an elaboration. But oh, he would never say it aloud- his pride wouldn't do him the honor of allowing him to quell his curiosity by stooping to her level so much as to _ask_ her a _question_. God forbid he displays something other than nothing on that sharp, handsomely terrifying face. She conjured up what she was sure his expression looked like at that moment- blank- or so he would like to believe. But she had been fast enough to catch it once or twice, and had been around him long enough to discern the smallest fraction of a centimeter his left eyebrow drew down when he didn't understand her.

"_Pointless."_ He had called her antics once when out of sheer boredom, she had constructed a fortress out of the pillows and hollowed out couch (the springs were set atop the peak of her castle, used as antennae receptors for her F2 nacho-covered-in-relish-platter delivering robot, she had told him- the food here was so bland.) _"Childish."_ He had interrupted her as she babbled on about how the nachos really were good with relish, and adding a side of pineapple slices made it even better. She had cut short her rant about how the store never had artichoke-entwined pretzels to observe him, finally stating simply after a beat "Nobody is making you stand here and listen to me."

He had opened his mouth, and then just as quickly closed it, features ever indifferent as he turned on heel gracefully and strode out, stone door sliding shut soundlessly. Orihime giggled as she imagined him beating himself up over letting a "simple-minded human" find a loophole in his perfect logic as he fluidly walked down the endless white hallway. Later when he entered, this time carefully stoic, Orihime ate the tasteless meal without argument for once. She knew, as she had grown to learn, that these little unexpected things would set off Ulquiorra's guard a bit, opening him up for even better jabs.

"_Don't your fancy, billow-y things ever get stuck in doors? You look like you belong in the Matrix, what with the way you walk all slow motion." _Orihime had said as an offhanded comment as her blank faced guard stepped through the door, shirttails undulating gracefully, mocking him with her rightness. Before the door slid shut completely she was graced with seeing an exasperated look aimed at her over Ulquiorra's shoulder, and one white shirttail caught in the doorway as the wall closed. Her laughter escaped into the hall for a millisecond as the door cracked open an inch and the white fabric end was hastily pulled out, and for once she didn't care- the laugh echoed off the walls and bounced across the sparse room, and tears collected in the corners of Orihime's eyes as she howled with mirth- she knew seeing Ulquiorra slip up like that was a one in a million chance, and she intended to enjoy it; knowing full well that he would be able to hear her long after he'd turned the corner.

The copper haired prisoner snapped out of her memories. She would still mess with Ulquiorra at times, prodding his cold personality and exterior for her own amusement (he wasn't allowed to kill her, there was nothing else to do, and he was usually right there- so why not?) but she had grown up a lot. Within a few weeks of being held captive, she had liked to think she had run out of tears, and they stopped flowing. She had taken out her hairpins and done some good long soul searching in that timeless prison, going over everything- her brother Sora, her friends, and most importantly Ichigo. She had stroked the final gifts from her late brother lovingly as she let her infatuation go, the vice around her heart unclenching from its long hold on her. Undoubtedly the carrot headed boy would always hold a place in her heart, but she accepted Rukia would always hold a far larger place in his.

"I was sick of the moon, so I made a ladder and looked out the window. I noticed everything here is alone. Isn't it?" At this she drew her eyes up, resting them easily on Ulquiorra's lean profile. In response the nihilistic Espada continued to stare at her, making no movement of any sort. That was Ulquiorra code for _"I still don't get your point and I'm trying to look like I don't care, but I'm failing at that and I don't even know it."_ Well, maybe that wasn't exactly right, but Orihime shrugged it off and continued on steadily studying his glinting green eyes.

"What I mean is, the moon- don't you think it'd be a lot friendlier if it had some stars to buddy up with? And" scurrying up on the precarious tower, she peered out the ridiculously high window "those dead trees. I know they're dead and all, and it's hard to feel anything when you're dead, but I still think they'd look more at ease if their companions weren't far enough to see but forever out of reach." Orihime balanced unsteadily on the stacked objects, looking down at Ulquiorra. In the back of her mind she realized this was the first time she'd even been taller than him (even with the extra stuff boosting her height), but the miniature epiphany was chased away as Ulquiorra silently approached, stepping up onto air as easily as though he were pouring tea, or flipping pages in a book.

* * *

Reaching her side, he too observed the scenery, struggling to grasp her logic. The moon, buddies with stars? The dead trees more consulate with their nonliving status if they had neighbors with which to share it? Ridiculous. It was such a human- such an _Orihime_- comparison.

"You're logic is pathetically incorrect on all accounts." He murmured, watching a flat look smear across her face. A short while ago she would have looked crestfallen, or even annoyed, but now she just seemed t expect these responses from him. "And you should be falling right about…now." He added tonelessly as a pillow gave in, and Orihime muffled a shriek as she was pitched forward. Withdrawing a single hand from his pocket, he caught her by the arm as the ground lurched closer to her. A mere inch or so from the ground, where a direct fall would have certainly sprained or shattered something, he allowed her a full view of the danger she had just avoided thanks to him. Only once he heard her exhale shakily and gulp more loudly than normal, did he drop her the remaining inch to the floor.

Returning his hand to his pocket, he was back at the door before Orihime had finished getting over her shock. "Dismantle this… thing, woman. Saving you from yourself is irritating." As he left, his sensitive ears easily picked out a hesitant "T…thank you…" from the woman, who had planted her feet more firmly on the ground, like she was reassuring herself it was still there.

On the route back to his chambers, the two word phrase echoed in the back of his thoughts annoyingly. Frowning and trying to brush it off were to no avail as he chastised himself for frowning at all- he was the Espada of nothing. Emptiness. Nihilism. He had feelings, but they had been buried under layer upon layer of walls. He had spent the entirety of his actually somewhat short being cultivating these walls, tending them, plugging up cracks or holes through which the emotion leaked. Through his detachment from anything and everything, he had gained power- it was no surprise he found emotions to be weak and below him.

Yet as he seated himself stiffly and signed sheet of paper after sheet of paper at his desk after sliding into his dark room, his own name blurred before him into meaningless blots of ink as his jade eyes unfocused and brought him back to that moment- the first time the woman had thanked him for anything.

* * *

First chapter of a new story. **I want actual FEEDBACK on this one.** Do you think it sucks and you want to carve out my spleen with a rusty pencil? Righty-o then. Tell me so, and do be a dear and include why.

_**REVIEW**_. It means the world to us authors, it really really does. When I log on and I see a review, I flip, spaz, and open microsoft word and get word- crunching. I write like a crazy mofo. Because, even if it's something like "Omg dis is k3wl." that's enough. (not great, but I can't expect more I suppose) It makes me happy someone read the story, went yay or nay, and SHARED WITH ME WHYYYYY. So I can FIX STUFF. Or, if you have a suggestion, put it out there. I might use it I might not, but it's worth a shot making me aware of it, ne? Some of the best ideas are those occurring without planning. Spontaneously. Like spontaneous combustion. Only, you know, with less fire... Well, usually with less fire anyways. But who knows.

_Hint hint, the more or better quality the reviews, the faster I'm motivated to upload more. Yes, it really does work that way._

~Thank you!~


	2. Chapter 2

"And our guest, Ulquiorra- how is she?"

Ulquiorra could envision the slippery smile spread across Aizen's face as he bowed, hear the poison in the words as they slithered out, masked under the guise of a calm polite man. The storm that raged behind the dark brown eyes spoke volumes more than words could however, and Ulquiorra straightened and responded robotically "She fares well, Aizen-sama. The refusal of food is frequent, yet she always eats in the end after I have threatened her with other… less pleasant methods."

He gauged the cold ruler's reaction to this- seeing emotions and inner turmoil within others had come naturally for him, but Aizen was always read with difficulty. He watched his eyes narrow, and then after a beat a resolution of sorts seemed to have presented itself, causing the snake in human skin to faintly smile a smile that promised ill to come for whomever he chose to inflict the verdict upon. Leaning his chin in his hand as he often did, sardonic smile never faltering, Aizen's breath came out a little choppier and louder than normal breathing- this was as close to laughter as Ulquiorra surmised he would ever get.

"Are you still threatening to force feed her, my dear quarto Espada? Hmmm….You don't understand humans well, do you Ulquiorra?" The words snaked through the air, the friendly reference to him overshadowed by the veiled antagonism that laced itself through the posed question.

Ulquiorra knew it was a rhetorical question, but he still raised his head enough to give an inquiring stare. Aizen returned the stare, and seeming to find something within Ulquiorra's suppressed glare, leaned back in his throne with an inscrutable expression.

"Do yourself a favor Ulquiorra- humoring her a bit would undoubtedly make her easier to deal with." Aizen paused, and then his gaze hardened in irritation. "Under normal circumstances, as long as she is healthy enough to be of use to me, I could care less about her mental well being. Yet she is one of the weak, annoying humans whom relies on their emotions for everything." Meeting Ulquiorra's slightly confused eyes, Aizen deepened his frown. His eyes darkened and he said dangerously "Trust is a thing earned, and a thing most easily lost or betrayed. Earn her trust- I want her _unwavering_ loyalty when the time comes for her to be useful."

Ulquiorra bowed immediately, hiding the confusion still floating within his person. "Yes, Aizen-sama." was ground out as the fourth Espada turned on heel and exited the throne room, Aizen letting loose an eerie chuckle. Apparently some things could make him laugh- taking note of the way the sound made his hair stand on end, Ulquiorra reminded himself to avoid instigating that same laugh ever again.

Closing his eyes as he glided smoothly down the vacant, glaringly white halls of Las Noches, Ulquiorra replayed the most recent Espada meeting in his mind. Stark had been sleeping, Szayel reading a book and occasionally scoffing at what were presumably incorrect statements, Grimmjow arm wrestling Nnoitra, and the remaining Espada talking quietly amongst themselves.

Ulquiorra had surreptitiously glanced around at each of the members as Aizen had seated himself at the head of the table. There was a mixture of anger in the eyes of Barragan and Grimmjow, jealousy in Nnoitra and Yammy's, disgust in Stark and Harribel's, and indifference in his own. Szayel had stared at a spot above Nnoitra's head in sheer disinterest at the entirety of the situation, while Zommari had meditated and Aaroniero made quiet bubbling noises occasionally. The majority either hadn't cared, or hadn't wanted to be there much less under Aizen. He had brought them into existence, certainly, but that did not warrant devoted obedience. Had his power not been so great, his will not so ironclad, Ulquiorra was sure Grimmjow would have led a rebellion at some point.

That fact was solidified when Aizen had gone into a monologue about the Hōgyoku, and Grimmjow had purposely made an unnecessarily loud sigh and propped his head on his hand on the table. Aizen had stopped instantly, and Grimmjow's head dropped off his hand and was shoved into the table under Aizen's spiritual pressure. This had elicited a snicker from Nnoitra and a snort from Yammy, but the display of power was not mistaken for what it truly was- it proved Aizen's absolute rule, and as he had observed the gathered Espada levelly, a single command of "dismissed" sent the congregation scuttling away.

Ulquiorra understood the negative feelings the Espada held for their cruel dictator, and he would be lying if he said he did not share them. He however, was not so foolish as to make such a blatant disobedient action that his face was crushed into a table like Grimmjow's.

His posture was what Orihime had once mentioned was "painfully straight" as he came to a stop in front of her door, the lesser arrancar appearing immediately with a cart of food. It had learned quickly to arrive before Ulquiorra was bothered to summon it (the wall still had the crack from when he'd been shoved into it after a tardy of a mere ten seconds) and it gulped nervously as it wheeled the cart to the table, bowed low to Ulquiorra, and fled the room as quickly as possible.

"Poor thing. He's terrified of you." The voice drifted over to him from where Orihime sat spinning a fork on the floor absently, Ulquiorra doing no more than blinking at her uncomprehendingly. He studied her as she huffed, cheeks puffing out a bit, and stood to walk closer to him. She stopped a respectful distance away, rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands clasped behind her back, studying him studying her.

"You could at least thank him for bringing the food, you know. I know you'd never do it if it came to it." She said, and then pursed her lips, waiting for something expectantly. What did she expect, he wondered?

"He is a servant. He exists only to serve us. His desires are of no consequence." Ulquiorra returned harshly, emerald eyes flicking over to the still covered tray of food that sat on the cart by the table. "Now, eat your food, woman." He too paused expectantly, knowing exactly what she'd say. It was in a way a game of banter the two exchanged- occasionally either would word or say something differently, and the other would launch back a volley of words or comparisons, each trying to make a point over the other.

"I'm not hungry." This was spoken evenly, and Ulquiorra held back the trickle of annoyance he felt coming on, instead responding in turn. "If you do not eat, I-" "Will force the food down your throat or give you an IV?"

There was silence for an instant, until Ulquiorra let a frown slip.

"Oh come on, you say that every. Single. Day. " Orihime said, over enunciating certain words. "How could I not have memorized that by now? It's been….it's…been…." She trailed off then, features softening as she turned to look out the window, unfeeling moon seated in the dark empty sky.

"…Ulquiorra? How long have I been here?" She asked this without facing him, hands behind her back disconnecting only to come together again in front of her, fingers twining together limply.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth, tongue forming the words he knew would provide her no answer and fill her with only more despair, but Aizen's command stilled the words at the back of his throat- "_humor her."_

"…It has been in human time, roughly….. roughly four months." He said monotonously, pulling the answer blindly from the air, as he had only the barest sense of mortal world time flow. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he scrutinized the woman's face when she whipped around, orange hair flitting behind her- it had become quite long from her time here.

Her eyes were widened, lips parted just so, posture slightly rigid. "F…four months?" She parroted blankly, crossing the room to the table and plunking herself on the chair as though the strength holding her upright had all left her. Wordlessly she lifted the cover off the food and ate it, not a single complaint escaping. Her shoulders were hunched, and Ulquiorra looked closely at her figure. She had been eating yet her uniform hung off of her in some places, indicating she had lost weight.

Ulquiorra felt the smallest chill run down his spine as the woman turned her eyes towards him. Her gaze, moments before vibrant, was now dull. The stormy eyes, now calm, left behind only the path of destruction the tempest had caused. It was a haggard, haunted look.

"You should have expected a timeframe such as that, woman. How can it so surprise you in this way?" Ulquiorra asked, tipping his head at the slightest of angles as the woman's thin delicate brows drew together angrily. It was a new look for her, and he note the way she also drew a fast breath, and pinched her lips into a straight tight line.

"I've been here for four entire months" she began, a fire suddenly lashing across her eyes, the storm within the orbs stirred back up with a greater fury than he has so far seen "and not once have I been let out of this room. I've built a fortress out of pillows, climbed up to the window by stacking the few things in this room like some sort of circus performer, and spun a fork. _Spun a fork_. How bored do you have to be to find entertainment in this?" She asked lividly, spinning said fork on the table.

It whipped around in circle after circle, scratching with a grating metal noise against the white marble table. It stopped with the prongs pointed at him, as though accusing him of something. He narrowed his eyes at it in return, before striding over to the table, proximity closer to Orihime than she'd felt from any creature- living , dead, or caught between- for months. He saw her stiffen, heard the sharp intake of air, and contemplated her a moment more.

"You…" he began quietly, capturing her gaze sternly "are all humans as odd as you, so as to spin a fork when bored? " He finally asked, taking a hand from his pocket to flick the fork himself, switching gazes to it. It spun, and stopped. He failed to see the entertainment she claimed that came from doing this pointless action.

"I never said it was _fun_- just that it was something." Orihime mumbled as his persistent green eyes wandered back to her face. "Besides, would you even know the meaning of the word anyways? Do you want nothing for yourself? I hope serving Aizen-_sama_ isn't your ultimate goal- It'd be sad if it was. But is there anything that you like?" Orihime asked him with an equal amount of persistence. "Is there something you could ever do for _you_?"

She raised a forefinger to poke him in the chest, but quickly paled and let out a quiet, high pitched shriek as the fabric of his jacket gave way. "Ah…tell me I just imagined that…?" she tried, leaning away with her eyes fixed on the junction right above his collar bones.

Ulquiorra too leaned away, still reeling from the contact, even as unintentional as it had been. Wordlessly he tugged the zipper down a few inches, the hole above his sternum exposed. Orihime's eyes widened, and she lifted a hand hesitantly. Her fingers trembled as she touched the edge of the hollow hole, pressure almost nonexistent as though she would hurt him. Her previous question seemed to have gone out the window for her, but it still echoed in Ulquiorra's thoughts.

"If you're done touching me, then…?" He said flatly, watching with interest as Orihime snatched her hand back and stuttered out an apology as her face reddened.

* * *

"I will return later." He notified her, sweeping out of the room while Orihime gaped after him. Once the door blended seamlessly with the wall, Orihime turned back to the fork Ulquiorra had spun. It pointed towards the door he had left through and she picked it up, trying to bend the prongs distractedly. She would occasionally flick her hand as though trying to rid the feeling of his skin from them. He wasn't as cold as his personality, but he didn't have the warmth all humans possessed either.

It was like he was caught between being the cold person he was, and the possibility of being more.

Orihime spun the fork, it scraping along in endless circles. She sighed and spun it the other direction.

It truly was boring here.

* * *

Second chapter. I know this one is short too, but I had to wrap things up for chapter 2 quickly because I'm going somewhere tomorrow and as a result can't write. All the reviews blew my brain up they were so awesome. I got a lot of smart-ass replies to my dis is kewl thing, and those made me laugh XD So, as always, reader shoutouts. Yaaay!

wutai flea: Yes, she would compare things like that. I actually never noticed but when I first started writing this, I realized how alone everything in Hueco Mundo was- the moon, the trees, Orihime, the far-from-familial relationships between the Espada- everything was alone.

Katey123: Yes, first chapter was short because it was sort of a mini test run of how well I could do Ulquiorra and Orihime in Las Noches. You know- the despair, the loneliness, blablabla. I wanted to see if I could write that, and then gradually change it because let's face it- it's the most OOC thing ever when Ulquiorra immediately goes from being all somber and vacant to being emotional and such. He needs time to argue with himself until his emotions win.

SpicyLove: I'm glad you liked it. I did try hard on the detail in this one, yes :3

Minako-senpai: Haha! Your review made me laugh XD Ulquiorra is indeed a complex character- I find myself often devoting entire walls of text to him just so that this little thing he does here makes sense, or what he said there is ironic or funny. He eats up personality analysis like a starving person :p

IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: Yeah, I figured I'd let Orihime have that one bit of fun with him at her comment. He's so stiff and he doesn't even know it, so the remark sent him for a loop I guess. XD

daheath: A pencil can get rusty because _I SAY IT CAAAANNNN_. Just kidding. Maybe the top part that holds the eraser would rust? Anyways, I know it's short, but it was a bit of a test chapter. I like it though so I'll finish it through quickly, I should think.

LovetheWords: I agree- Orihime makes me want to bop her on the head at times. I can't stand writing her inane comments, because really she's only like that around Kurosaki. I find it odd how her personality changes depending on who she's with. Kurosaki- "Omg! Help me Kurosaki! Save meeee!" Ulquiorra- "*bitch slap* Don't talk about my friends like that! D:" So, yeah.

soulspirit18: As I said, ditzy Orihime makes me want to bop her one. =3= I figured "Hey, she's what, 17? Around there? There's a difference between having fun childishly and just being childish all the time." So I made her grow up a little. Spending months in an empty tower with only a stoic guard and their friend's lives on the line would mess up anyone's head.

**_REVIEW! IT MAKES ME WRITE FASTER!_** I mean, look at this- the second chapter was up in a **_day_** thanks to reviews.


	3. Chapter 3

"Woman." The emotionless voice reverberated quietly against the white marble walls. True to his word, Ulquiorra had returned a few hours later. And why wouldn't he have, she reasoned- it's not like he'd ever lied to her before. He didn't conceal any of the truth when he'd informed her of her friend's first failure at her rescue- he'd bluntly stuck it to her, unlike how her friends had beat around the bush until Urahara had stepped in and told her of the futility of taking an offensive position in the war.

"Orihime. I have a name." She replied instantly- this was another daily exchange. "But I suppose you'd rather chew your own arm off than use it, am I right?" She added flatly, standing from where she had been sprawled across the couch. She flipped the long braid she'd been working on over her shoulder, noting the way his cat like eyes followed its arc through the air before fixing onto her face.

"...Come with me." Ulquiorra ordered after a momentary silence, giving no indication of an elaboration on the command, or room to object to it. He swept out of the room, not caring to check if Orihime followed- she knew he could hear her every sound without having to look anyways. This was the first time Orihime had been let out of her prison for months, and the hesitation she felt lasted less than a second before it was thrown out the window and she loped out of the room eagerly.

Her sandals tapped a quiet rhythm on the hard marble floor- why was _everything_ here marble? Aizen certainly seemed obsessed with it and the color white - while her guard strode ahead of her soundlessly, hands in pockets and posture taut as ever.

"You're not going to answer me if I ask where we're going, are you?" Orihime ventured, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as Ulquiorra's expected answer was tossed over his shoulder at her- "No." Orihime sighed, pulling the braid back over her shoulder to undo and fiddle with the ends of her hair.

"Can I guess?"

"No."

"Can you slow down a little? You have longer legs than me after all." Orihime pleaded, lengthening her strides to keep up with the fast paced Espada.

"No." He said, gait unfaltering and remaining the same speed.

"Can you answer _any_ of my questions with something other than "no"?"

"No."

Orihime bit the inside of her cheek in frustration until she analyzed the last response more closely- it was pitched barely a decibel higher and there was real inflection in the tone- and the closest she could identify the change with was amusement. As she stumbled, caught her balance, and heard an exasperated sigh from him get smothered, she had to wonder- was she rubbing off on this ice block of an arrancar?

* * *

"_What was that?"_ Ulquiorra asked himself as he felt an unfamiliar tug on the corner of his lips._"I was told to humor her- not actually find her humorous." _he reprimanded himself sternly, turning at a hallway completely identical to the others. The nearly-nonexistent smirk was wiped off his face immediately as he reflected on the short exchange. Looking back on it, there wasn't anything truly funny about it in the least- yet some unbidden feeling had told him (against all logic) that this _was_ funny, and the ridiculous- the _human_- smile had emerged as a result. As was in his nature to do he brushed the warm feeling off- but a lingering suspicion planted itself in his mind and sat there stubbornly. He would deal with this new little crux of his later.

He could sense the woman's bewilderment as the turns and twists became more frequent- he decided not to tell her the halls of Las Noches molded themselves according to where the traveler wanted to go, instead taking a silent entertainment out of her befuddled look when they stopped before a side door.

"I also suppose you're not going to answer me if I ask you how you can tell one hallway from another, when they all look _exactly_ the same?" Orihime queried. He could tell from the lack of enthusiasm in her voice that she wasn't expecting an answer, and the lack of a reply from him met her expectations.

Instead he opened the stone slab easily with a single palm, standing aside and observing Orihime apathetically. She peeked around him uneasily, likely imagining whatever to be on the other side as something unpleasant. Once eyes and brain seemed to connect for her however, she gasped and rushed past him immediately in a flurry of activity, flitting around the sterile kitchen hurriedly as though it would all evaporate if she didn't explore enough of it as quickly as possible. Life had shot into her eyes, and their shine seemed to only become more brilliant as she yanked open the sleek refrigerator and leaned in, pulling back with an armful of fruits, just as brightly jarring against the same whiteness as her hair.

"Color! Ulquiorra, there's color here! I haven't seen the color yellow for months, except that awful moon! Well, the moon here is more like a sickly whitish silver, but still…!" Orihime rambled, hugging a pineapple before muttering "ouch…" and rubbing the sharp poke it had given her.

"What would compel you to embrace a spiny fruit, or to miss the color yellow, woman?" Ulquiorra asked from where he leaned against the wall, watching her celebrate some circumstance unknown to him. He had brought her to the kitchen, sick of her refusals to eat the "food that tasted so boring, it almost put her to sleep while she ate it." He rationalized this accomplished two goals in one- the first an official goal (following Aizen's requirements of keeping her in good health and "humoring her") the second a personal one (if she made her own food, she couldn't possibly complain, therefore not causing him to waste breath threatening her with force feeding.)

"I'm actually really surprised" Orihime began, ignoring his question and snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked at her to continue. Her finishing of the statement was almost missed by him due to the realization that gradually, he had started paying attention to the trivial drivel she said often. Since when had he started caring? "I half expected the food to be painted white or something when I ran to the fridge." She admitted, laughing as she dumped the various produce onto the counter and rifled through nearby drawers.

"Of course not. Why would anyone paint food?" Ulquiorra snorted, absentmindedly fingering the hilt of Murciélago as he watched the woman bustle around, pulling bowls and utensils out and setting to work making whatever could possibly be made by combining the odd array of items she'd chosen. His eyes lingered on her hands as she worked; registering the familiarity with which she tossed the carving knife from hand to hand expertly, slicing up the pineapple with fast and efficient strokes.

"Cooking is… well-known to you." Ulquiorra said simply, also registering the way she flinched when he'd spoken and nearly plunged the knife through her hand. His exhale of relief was covered up by her spinning around and exclaiming "Oh my gosh! That was your first attempt at conversation _ever_!"

Ulquiorra's lips pressed together and curved into a frown, detecting more than just surprise from the woman- her eyes betrayed that she appeared to be pleased he'd spoken to her at all in a context not involving an order or rude remark, and the smile plastered onto her face an instant later confirmed this.

As if the grin wasn't enough, she nodded enthusiastically, happily twittering "Oh, yes! I've had to cook for myself for…well, since Sora died. Years and years now." Her voice slowed and lowered at the end, lapsing into silence as she turned back to preparing her abnormal meal, albeit more slowly than before.

"You have never mentioned this name, despite all the incessant talking you do." Ulquiorra pointed out nonchalantly, considering the odds of her offering more of an explanation as opposed to remaining mute on the subject.

A few seconds passed. Some toppings were gathered, and then reluctantly:

"Sora… Sora was my brother. He took care of me after our parents died. The day he died, he gave me these." Orihime said, setting down the shaker of cinnamon sugar and tugging the pins from her hair, rolling them around in her palm contemplatively. "I'd told him they were childish. I'd hurt him, the day he died- I'd never gotten the chance to make it right." Orihime confessed, sliding the clips back in with the ease of one whom has repeated the action several times before.

"Sora…" she stopped for a moment, snatching the shaker back up to mask the hesitation "became a hollow." Orihime still had her back to Ulquiorra, but easily seen were her shoulder blades as she made progress with the creation, slower now-whether to prolong her freedom or due to the memories she was reciting, or both, he could not put his finger on.

"Ichigo saved me when Sora attacked me- you know how hollows go after those they were closest to in life and all that." Orihime continued, glancing over her shoulder at the quarto Espada. Trying to appear disinterested had never been more difficult for the arrancar of nihilism, for this was by far the most interesting- and personal- bit of information she'd ever shared with him. From the way she halted at certain intervals and seemed to grasp for words Ulquiorra doubted it was an oft told tale, and he had to stem the desire to ask why she would tell _him_ of all people this.

"I got to reconcile with my brother before he passed on. I owe more than I could ever repay to Kurosaki for that, honestly." Orihime said, tossing a pickle into the bowl as a finishing touch and sampling the mixture with a salad fork, nodding in satisfaction.

Ulquiorra mulled over the recollection while Orihime cleared the dishes into the sink and began to wash them meticulously. It was a direct explanation for the independence she possessed now, he decided- it was also the reason she valued these friends of hers so highly. She'd clearly learned well the lesson of recognizing a good thing once it was gone, and made an obvious effort to put others before herself in an attempt to prove her loyalty.

It was foolish, he thought- at any time, any one of those friends could turn on her. Aizen had been entirely correct when he phrased trust as being the thing most easily betrayed and lost.

"I made a little for you if you want it- normal, of course. I know my taste in food is…" she trailed off, eyes glancing to the side at her invention "ehh…different. If you can even eat, that is…I never thought of that, can arrancar eat? Can you specifically or does the food just like, fall out the hole in your heck? That would be a bummer. Always having food fall out of a big hole in your neck every time you tried to eat anything. Oh, but then what about Grimmjow? He's got a hole through his stomach! Could he put the food in the hole and digest it that way? Or…" Orihime's gaze floated away from Ulquiorra's green eyes gradually and traveled up the wall, unfocused, as she carried on with theories and questions.

Pushing away from the wall and stepping up to the bowl of normal fruit salad she'd made, Ulquiorra impaled an innocent strawberry upon a fork and popped it in his mouth, watching as Orihime stared at him as though expecting the same strawberry to come shooting out of his neck or something. Swallowing it, Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow and asked flatly "Does that answer your question?"

Nodding faintly, Orihime eventually recovered and pulled her own salad closer, closing her eyes in rapture while Ulquiorra half expected her to fall over dead. A giggle drew Ulquiorra's eyes to her face, his fork pausing in midair. "I'm in Aizen's kitchen, eating fruit salad with an Espada. This is just too funny." Ulquiorra watched her chuckle, wiping at the tears collecting in the corners of her eyes.

"I fail to see what is funny about this…?" he asked, the mango slice on his fork completing its journey as he set the now empty bowl neatly on the counter and balanced the fork across the top of the bowl in a perfect angle. Orihime scrunched her nose at the perfection of the tableware, but tore her eyes from it to answer "How can you not find this funny? I know you don't care about much, and I'm not actually sure it's physically possible for you to smile, but….man, you're deprived. Fun? Happiness? Laughter? Any of these words ringing a bell?" Orihime asked incredulously, starting up the sink again to finish off the remaining dishes.

"The servants will attend to those- washing them yourself is unnecessary. And I know of…."fun"."

"You have trouble even saying the word-you have no idea." Orihime shot back, sticking her tongue out at him impishly."You know of fun like you've read it out of a textbook." Ulquiorra opened his mouth to deny it, but bit back a curse as he realized she was- again- right.

"Hmph. It is time to return to your cell, wo-" "Oihime! It's a really easy name, you have no excuse for not using it." Orihime interrupted, stopping before the wall they had entered through. Frowning, she extended a finger and poked the wall uncertainly. Door forming beneath her touch, she smiled cheerily and practically skipped through, Ulquiorra following behind.

"_Yes, humor her- better do what master says, like the lapdog you are."_ The voice echoed snidely within his head, and Ulquiorra flicked his sword. _"I don't want to hear anything more from you .I am not subservient of my own will- you know this." _Ulquiorra growled at the weapon. Murciélago was a fickle blade- it spoke nonsense to him when he wished for nothing more than silence, and on the rare occasion Ulquiorra did require an audience with it, the katana remained unresponsive.

"…Orihime." The name was unusual rolling off his tongue "We are returning now." Ulquiorra started over, trying unsuccessfully not to let the woman's hum of content triumph at hearing her name come at last from him stir the flood of emotions he kept locked behind the walls.

* * *

"Ulquiorra? You know I wouldn't think any less of you if you did something normal like sighed or smiled, or even breathed?" Orihime informed her guard as he was leaving, he pausing to turn and give a rebuke. Stomach comfortably filled with _yummy_ food, the prison cell-like room seemed less oppressive than it had earlier.

"Those are all living, human things. I am neither." He stated, sounding as though he'd rehearsed the phrase in front of a mirror.

"I think you're wrong. What else would have compelled you to take me to the kitchen today?" Orihime argued, meeting his gaze head-on; daring him to prove her wrong.

"I did it because I was ordered to." Ulquiorra said thinly, both knowing full well that the minor escapade went beyond the parameters of Aizen's orders.

"You may not be aware of this, Ulquiorra," Orihime trilled as the pale arrancar turned his back to her "but you are a terrible liar."

She smirked when she his shoulders stiffen before the wall sealed.

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Third chap up finally- I was distracted drawing with my friend's borrowed tablet. Also, I was wondering- **did anyone catch the little joke I made on Ichigo? Hint- the poor strawberry was eaten. :P**

As always, review and such because it makes me happy and want to write more and faster. Now, reviewer response time! (because you guys are important to me. Yes.)

-Chapter 1 reviewers I didn't get-

Engelmohr2004: Agreed. If Orihime was like this in canon, maybe she actually could be of some use in the war :p

Toph43: I'm glad the lack of speech wasn't a bad thing- Ulquiorra isn't chatty, and Orihime's situation isn't one that would evoke much talking either. They both have to learn to tolerate the other first, before extensive dialogue can come- as observed in this chapter; the two talk more, but still not much (aside from Orihime's ramblings.)

-Now the chapter 2 reviewers-

LovetheWords: I'm glad I got Aizen down well- he surprisingly wasn't too hard to write for some reason. And I'm ecstatic you think so- an occasional fic I've read here or there has been excellent and I never thought mine would rank with them in many people's regards- thank you much :D

JadeKurosaki: Here is your update! hope you like it ^-^

Anonymous: Indeed- I've nearly vomited at some of the chipper Ulquiorra's I've come across before. He doesn't go around skipping, and if he smiles it's not excessively (unless this can be written well- as it is with many aspects I suppose.)

Katey123: Well, what would _you_ do in there? I personally would make my food into funny faces, _then_ refuse to eat it. But that's just me ;) Oh! That just gave me an idea for a funny in the next chapter, thank you xD

Deviltrigger Dante: I will update like a boss! o:

Dimwitt: I'm glad so many people liked that part. I had just as much fun writing it xD

daheath: I actually wasn't too happy with how that part turned out, I just needed to write _something_ to end the chapter. I wasn't too confident on it, so thank you for telling me it was actually good :D

soulspirit18: Yes! I mean, come one- Aizen has Grimmjow's _arm ripped off_ (he can't be too happy about that). Yammy is the decima Espada, well not really anymore but w/e, and likely receives crap from the higher ranking ones (survival of the fittest and all that- I doubt he's satisfied with his rank), Stark doesn't like fighting but is forced to do so by Aizen anyways, Nnoitra has some power hungry problems and is likely jealous as hell of Aizen, Barragan was basically kicked off his throne by Aizen, Harribel always seemed too classy and above Aizen's methods to me, and Ulquiorra is treated like a servant by Aizen, which I think would conflict with his amount of pride. Thank you for your thoughts :3

IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: It's either talk to herself, or talk to the wall which is her guard xD (until she manages to soften him up)

Ok, now _**REVIEW**_! GO GO GO! Because then it will fill me with **motivation**! xD


	4. Chapter 4

"Hmmm… so many options." Orihime hummed pleasantly, tapping a finger against the side of her cheek in thought, perusing a recipe book excavated from one of the bottom cabinets in the kitchen. It had been shocking enough to find something so…so _quaint_ within Las Noches, but the shock had been watered down at the coating of dust the book had been immersed in- it was here, yes, but clearly never used.

Ulquiorra made no sound but Orihime knew if she turned, she'd find him in his customary place- leaning against the wall, hands in pockets, face guardedly expressionless as he was every time he brought her here. She liked to think he was beginning to loosen up around her, but it was so difficult to tell- the moment she imagined she'd caught him smirking, or frowning, or tapping a foot, or _anything_, it was replaced with the nothingness she knew so well.

But his reaction to her antics today were decidedly easier to recognize.

"Muffins?

"I do not care."

"Okay, how about cookies then? Everybody loves cookies!"

"Woman- I do not care."

"It's Orihime."

Pouting, Orihime pulled the recipe book back in front of her, off-handedly wondering what had been making her stoic guard so tense lately; Ulquiorra would typically grace her with answers slightly better than the repeated response that had been coming from him the past few days. He said it with such vindication too, as though _he_ were trying to convince _himself_ he didn't care.

Her eyes traveled down the page but the words she read were not taken in as her mind tripped over the title- her "guard". When had he stopped being her prison keeper, and become her guard? Forcing her attention back to the list of recipes as she flicked through the pages, she picked a page at random to end the indecision.

"Banana bread…? Well, why not." Orihime muttered to herself, rummaging through the refrigerator. A past conversation about the very same fridge caused her to smile as she pulled a bundle of the yellow fruits out.

_"What are you doing?" The notes were flat- the voice monotonous_

"_Well, this has to connect to the wall somewhere, right?" The pitches here were lively, jumping around the scale with purpose, bringing inflection and question to the words. They were accompanied by the patting of hands along a wall behind the device._

"_Why do you want to know something as trivial as that?" Again the monotone sounded, but jumped a note towards the end in curiosity, belying the smooth disinterest of the speaker._

_Gray eyes below slanted-in-confusion brows met deep jade, both gazes testing the other._

"_It's not like the fridge is a hollow- it can't eat reishi. How does it run?"_

_A smirk was given as her answer to this comment, and the "fridge" was never thought of the same way again as the patting hands retracted from the appliance as though scalded. The backs of fridges weren't scaly. They just weren't._

"Hey Ulquiorra, come over here for a sec- I wanna see something."

Orihime's fiery hair had grown even longer, tumbling below her waist, the arrancar noted as he stepped reluctantly away from the wall. As he came to stand beside her, the realization gave him pause.

When had she gone from being "human" to being "woman" to now being "Orihime"?

"What." Ulquiorra asked flatly, remaining still as Orihime held an upturned banana in front of his face. Ulquiorra's eyebrow drew down a centimeter in confusion, and this seemed to be just enough to set the girl off.

Doubling over and even hanging onto the counter, Orihime let her laugh ring free, drawing gasps of breath only to spend them laughing once more. She wiped at the tears forming in her eyes, glanced up at his now outright confused expression, and exploded back into howling hilarity.

"And you find this funny because….?" The Espada trailed off, at a loss for how this small thing could evoke such a degree of amusement.

"Haha…Because you…the banana, and you never smile, so I, ha, the banana, hahahaha!" her explanation so riddled with horribly restrained laughter, Orihime sent herself into another fit of giggling, finally calming down after a good four minutes or so, yet the wide grin never left her face as she tried to speak again.

"You always look like you're either stuck in a boring meeting, your dog just died, or you just had someone scream something at you in a foreign language and you don't understand what they said. Or you look like nothing. So, I figured since you might burst into flames if you were to ever genuinely smile, I'd have this do the job for you." Here Orihime gestured at the offending fruit, and when the spark of comprehension failed to cross Ulquiorra's features, she blew a strand of coppery hair from her eyes exasperatedly.

"Okay, how's about this then…" She began, swiping the fruit from the counter and tipping it on its side. "I'm Ulquiorra. I never smile. Actually, I don't do much of anything involving my facial expressions." Orihime said, attempting to plunge her high lilting soprano to his deeper tenor, while forcing her grin away and replacing it with a straight line, wiping any hint of emotion. Bringing the banana up to her face, she kept it in front of her lips while watching the arrancar for any sign of the lightbulb going off.

The corner of Ulquiorra's mouth slipped down when he saw what had caused the laughter and fighting an eye roll had never, _ever_, been so hard.

"Your impression of me is terrible." He finally pointed out after Orihime had given up and peeled the banana, procuring a knife to split it down the middle and then into thirds, dumping the pieces into a blender and hitting a random button after deliberating.

He couldn't fight off his smirk as he noticed Orihime quickly back away from the small appliance suspiciously, and decided against telling her this one was normal, and battery operated.

* * *

"…and then the blender just _exploded_! It's a good thing you're so fast, or else we'd smell like bananas for a week! Tomorrow it seems I'll be cleaning, not cooking."

"Hm." Ulquiorra grunted noncommittally.

The two lapsed into silence, the tapping of Orihime's steps the only sound echoing in the white marble hall. Ulquiorra gratefully took the moment of quiet to step back and examine himself. In short, he could only ask "what the hell happened?" Making failed banana bread with a prisoner, _almost_ smiling, being caught off guard time and time again by this _one_ creature- what had she done to him?

The fourth Espada was for once grateful she chose to skip ahead of him, for if Orihime met his eyes, Ulquiorra knew she'd see the indecision raging behind them. This was no longer a mere petty inner argument with himself- this was a full-scale civil war, and until the victor of this dispute became clear, Ulquiorra could only do the one thing he' trained himself to be good at- nothing.

"Ulquiorra? I know that look, what's wrong?"

"…_.Damn." _the arrancar thought, focusing his gaze on Orihime's expectant one. The two entered her cell masquerading as a room, and he looked at her- _really_ looked at her. She had become thinner and even an inch or so taller, the last traces of teenager fat gone. She stood straight- proud- and her eyes held a wisdom about the world not present months before. The childish tendencies had been pitched away, leaving behind only her natural personality quirks. Before she would have cried- now, she would have fought.

Before she would have been scared stiff to be within 100 feet of his chilling power he knew she sensed under the surface. Now? She talked to him, laughed with or at him (depending upon the circumstances), and simply smiled.

Simply smiled. And that was all it seemed to be taking to bring the walls he'd built crashing down.

"You….you are….happy." He started tentatively, feeling the word skate strangely off his tongue.

At this her perpetual smile faltered, the reality of her situation poking at her, but it quickly returned as she replied "Yes….and no."

Ulquiorra was only left waiting a second or two before she explained- how this too had become so routine escaped him.

"Obviously, this situation isn't a good one." She said, giving a sweep of her arm to indicate herself and the cell-like room. "But, it could be worse."

"Worse? How could your predicament be 'worse'?" the Espada asked, analyzing her problem from every angle- she was trapped, ultimately being held hostage while helping her enemy simultaneously, was branded a traitor, and the only ones who refused to believe she had betrayed them were not yet powerful enough to do much about it. There was absolutely nothing about this that could be made "worse".

"This could be worse" she said, pulling a hand through her hair to remove a small tangle while avoiding his searching eyes "if you weren't here."

Ulquiorra felt his mouth open to deny her statement, and then snap closed when no words were forthcoming. His usual way of running from her statements or questions he didn't want to respond to was stopped when he was tugged back by a hand pulling determinedly on his arm.

"I wasn't finished." She said, and waited. Ulquiorra knew she was tense- her grip said that much even if she didn't realize it. Looking over his shoulder, he tilted his head in permission to continue- leaving at this point would be a sign of weakness, regardless of how much he wanted to avoid what he knew she would tell him.

In a way, he mused, their positions were reversed; here she was, about to say something he knew would place the last chips in his mental wall to crumble it, and yet it was something he knew he needed- and wanted- to hear. He had been merciless in delivering the news of her friend's failure at rescuing her (earning himself a slap, damaging her hand far more than his face) and in the same way, although unintentional, she was about to unwrap the nihilistic philosophies he'd shakily strung together to make a reason for his existence.

"You brought me out of here- you didn't have to."

The first chip.

"You pay attention to what I say- I know you do."

The second chip.

"You not only listen to me, you answer me- provided you don't deem my questions beneath answering."

The third chip.

"And I've seen it; never called you out on it, but- you do feel. _I know you do_. _I_ can tell."

The fourth and final chip, forming the proverbial crack- thus, the walls were brought down.

Utter quiet reigned, the slightly faster breathing and heartbeat of Orihime the only perceptible sound. It seemed to stretch on endlessly- forever, into eternity and past even that. And then, she saw his eyes- but more than that, just _him_-he was stiffer than a board, his eyes were noticeably wider, his mouth was open yet whatever protest had been forming had died away, and he looked….

Alive.

The fourth Espada of Aizen's army, the Espada of emptiness and nothingness, was clearly shocked. This expression, so unrestrained for the first time she'd ever seen, surprised her too. She had expected a flimsy _"It was Aizen's orders that made me do all that."_ But no- he'd actually taken that in, let himself realize that he _did_ have emotion. Her words had hit home, and as she followed Ulquiorra's gaze to her hand still on his arm, she quickly let go and stuttered an apology.

The two stood close, but It felt like a one sided chasm was there. It was up to Ulquiorra to choose what to do- cross the trench, or stay at a distance; but from her side of the chasm, Orihime would be sure to help him along with a smile.

* * *

I could give my excuses for not uploading this chapter quickly, AND it being crap, AND it being pathetically short, so I will. Main one- it was a b**** to write . I write these without any plot at all in mind, so it occasionally doesn't seamlessly flow from one event I want to the next- the result are these; the choppy filler chapters. But they are still important- transition transition transition. :U Oh, and because review responses are getting so long, I'm no longer separating them out by enters. Sorry, but it's way long ^^; (I'll still do them though of course.)

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_-Chapter 1 reviews I didn't get-_ Rag Daz the Spaz Kat: I'm glad you like it, thank you :3 Ghoust Reader: I'm too persistent to not finish what I start- this story is no exception, it will be seen through to the end. Top of my hate list- good stories that are never finished :/ blackwingsgreeneyes: Thank you much :3 AnimeIsEverything: Indeed :3 Thank you.

_-Chapter 2 reviews I didn't get-_ Rag Daz the Spaz Kat: Thank you so much, I did like that bit too. I write my fanfictions by stringing little funny or nice events _I_ want together (or a good suggestion)- they never have plots, hence the irregular updates and quality xD

_-Chapter 3 reviews-_ IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: Same- thus, it spawned that scene xD Katey123: I forget how your review gave me the idea, but it did- Banana smile. ;) 3R15UK0UM31: Ffffuuuuu- I _knew_ someone would say that, I _knew_ it XP before this review, if you can believe it, the thought never crossed my mind- now, I'm slightly scared ._. Heeellll no ._. Orihime's ramblings are fun for me to write, as are Ulquiorra's "Okay, great. Whatever." reactions to them. xD Spacey-panda: HA! I know! I can't stand it when that happens! That doesn't happen in real life- sure as hell won't happen that fast between two people who are _supposed_ to be enemies :p Rag Daz the Spaz Kat: Yes, there's just something off about her food preferences. In the anime, the expression on her face as she talks about leek pie, or whatever it was, was just... xD soulspirit18: Thank youuu, sadly this chapter is short and crappy, but I'm hoping the next one flows more smoothly. This chapter was haaard, for whatever reason x_x BlackRose274: I know- but I'd go insane if I wrote her collapsing on the floor crying every few paragraphs, or monologue-ing a heartfelt speech about love and happiness. LovetheWords: THAT is how the fridge works- because I say so, that's why xD akumaxkami: Sorry this chapter is full of fail, I hope the next one isn't as bad DX AnimeOtaku666: Thank you for the corrections xD (I knew not proofreading would come back to bite me...) In the future, if you spot such a massive amount of typos, you can PM them to me instead (if you wish- I don't mind.) Jeaniegirl: I _really_ liked that opening too- I believe that opening alone inspired the whole rest of this mess xD And thank you; the banter is just as fun to write, yes. animefan1929: Thank you :3 And of course. I always finish what I start :3

Akatsukifan10: You're separated because you get a more in-depth reply; I found your review gave me much to consider. The long review did make my day, because I deeply enjoy analyzing personalities and literature, and it's all so incredible- one person can justify a character in one way, another person in a completely different. The diversity of people is astounding. I honestly don't care for Aizen, but your points are valid and made me go "Hey, he's right... huh...". Your point of view on Aizen is different from mine, and I'm glad you shared this because it's neat- it's a whole different way of thinking than mine, and I find that both pretty kick-ass and...enlightening, I suppose. Before you review this chapter, if you choose to, know that I'm well aware it sucks- but I had no material, so just pulled crap out of the hat and said "Okay, I'll write that I guess." I'm hoping the next chapter will be either a wrapping up of the story, or a turning point. Yay, plot elements. (see below reader response question.)

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**_READER QUESTIONNNN. I was going to wrap this story up soon because I feel its drawing to its close, but I will ask all of you a question- should I..._**

**a.** make this story longer ( I'm not leaning towards this, but I'll throw it out there) **b.** create a new story that has the same intro as this, but splits off and ends differently (still happily of course, I don't do tragedy) keyword time- rebellion, fights, more characters involved in the plot-if it can be called that- except for just Ulquiorra and Orihime. Now that the idea has been hatched, I could do several different endings, hm... **c.** wrap it up all nice and happy and tidy :3 **d.** Crap... I forget. I'll have d be whatever anyone feels like suggesting since my brain just died on me. xD**  
**

It's **fan**fiction .net, because it caters to the **fans**. So, it's whatever you- the fans- want me to do. This is written for and because of all of _you_ :3 PM me your choice if you aren't comfortable with saying in a review, don't make a choice, choose more than one, offer your own choice for me to consider- I'm open to _literally almost any suggestion_, you just gotta let me know. I'm nice like that :3 Again, apologies for how long it took to produce such a short, cruddy chapter, but I'll do my best to make it up to you in the next one. But first, I gotta make a plot... xD (damn plots...grrr... these characters are so uptight, it's so hard to get them together... *grumblegrumble*)

And I've learned something- the UlquiHime fanbase is some srs bsns, man ._.


	5. Chapter 5

~Sorry it took so long, (really, I am D: ) and for the extreme shortness, but I love how it came out- ending it like this just felt _right_. (if you disagree, review or PM me telling me why- constructive criticism is welcomed) Now, I won't bother you; get right to the reading!~

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Ulquiorra was sure he'd startled Orihime by suddenly sonido-ing out of the room, but that was the least of his problems. He supposed it was almost…immature of him to have fled like he had but the searching intent of Orihime's eyes, the knowing cant to her smile, the red across her face as she'd relinquished her hold on his arm, all of it was more then he wished to deal with after she'd seemingly effortlessly knocked down his mental barriers with three sentences, and a smile.

And a smile.

He took this in, forcing himself to a normal walking pace, the hallways endlessly twisting and turning; for once, Ulquiorra had no destination in mind, so the path meandered on pointlessly. "Pointlessly." How long had he said that word; in how many different contexts, for how many reasons, to how many people? The number was certainly a high one. Several faces flashed by, people to whom he'd tossed the word at- the memories of the owners low in his regard, but then, who wasn't?

"_Orihime wasn't- isn't." _The voice rebounded within his thoughts, uncharacteristically serious; scolding, even.

"Choosing to bother me now, of _all_ the times you could have before done so. Will you never allow me a measure of peace?"

"_Don't ask for peace from me- your indecision has been grating on my nerves for quite a while."_

"…Impudent sword." Ulquiorra mumbled, tweaking the hilt angrily. Feeling a responding pinch from the sword spurned from pure irritation toward its master through the mental link, he prepared to firmly reprimand the Zanpakutō when a drawling yell saved the weapon from its punishment.

"Well, the stick up your ass that keeps you so uptight all the time seems to have been knocked pretty loose today, Ulquiorra. What's the occasion?"

The fourth Espada didn't need to draw his eyes up to know Grimmjow was the speaker- the sheer tactfulness of the language spoke for itself. Leaning against a wall the sixth crossed his arms over his scarred chest expectantly, not bothering to conceal within his sky blue eyes the interest and…amusement, was it?

"If you do not stand aside the occasion will be _you_- or rather, _half_ of you: the other half will have been long since severed." Ulquiorra bit out- first his own sword, and now one of the people he absolutely could not stand were stomping on the frayed ends of his patience.

"Tense, are we? But you're always in _such_ a good mood after taking care of Pet-sama."

The _"shink"_ of metal embedding itself a millimeter away from the feline Espada's head into a wall gave the flippant arrancar pause, before a knowing grin spread over his face. Despite Murciélago having come within an inch or so of his eye socket, the panther started a low, rumbling chuckle which quickly escalated into unrestrained laughter. The bone jaws on the side of his face parted slightly with the laugh as well, clicking shut every time the sixth stopped for a breath.

Ulquiorra suffered Grimmjow a scathing look, remaining stiff as he yanked the blade from the wall and slid it back into its sheath with more force than was necessary. Hands on his knees as the sixth Espada struggled for air, he recovered enough to manage "Your face was priceless, man!" before yelping as a cero seared some of the skin off his arm, and in turn, the smirk from his countenance.

Ulquiorra's hand was still raised threateningly, green eyes darkly glaring. Grimmjow sobered up immediately and adopted a similar expression, albeit lacking the same amount of hatred as the one being shot at him. Grunting while observing the damage on his forearm Grimmjow muttered "Lucky it was me you bumped into- anyone else and your outta control reiatsu woulda had them peppering you with questions. What you and your girlfriend do ain't my business, but if Aizen finds out…." Grimmjow trailed off, but the lack of words were laced with heavy implications.

At Ulquiorra's scrutinizing stare the smirk returned, bleached-bone teeth seeming to bare themselves in mischievous glee. "Your helmet's on too tight if you think I never noticed. But, I won't rat on ya'- I'm not _that_ much of an ass, no matter what you think- but you owe me." The feline Espada passed by Ulquiorra easily, and tossed a carefree "I can guarantee you your little walk to nowhere will take you right back to Pet-sama- don't be such a pussy and get it over with." over his shoulder as he ducked down a side hall in time to avoid another green cero launched at him.

* * *

"_The cat was right... I hate it when that idiot is right." _thought the Espada dryly as he rested his palm against the stone, but resisted opening it. The void that had been created when his clashing emotions settled was instantaneously filled with apprehension as Ulquiorra debated his next move. Would facing her again so soon after she'd reduced him to a mess of crumbled philosophies be wise? Would-

"Just come in already. I know you're out there- a brick could have sensed you by now."

Well. The matter was wordlessly settled as he crossed the threshold, choosing to ignore the brick comment- it was her odd way of showing affection, as he'd come to know. Orihime stood by the chair she'd clearly been occupying before his unexpected return, having stood due to her ingrained habit of politeness.

She twirled her long hair around her finger distractedly, focusing on him intently while tipping her head to the side and frowning slightly in confusion. It was such a _human_ expression.

Both Murciélago and his helmet seemed to suddenly gain several pounds, weighing down on him, reminding him- he _wasn't_ human. He was, once upon a time, but any fairy tales needed to be shoved aside _now_. Before she could blink Ulquiorra was but a small step away from her, loosely holding his drawn sword just above her heart, which he could easily hear had picked up its tempo.

The cold metal clearly sent chills through her judging from how she shuddered, and Ulquiorra crushed down Murciélago's objections to his actions as he rested the tip against her collarbone. She needed to understand what she would be getting herself involved in.

"You forget what I am." His deep tenor struck the silence like stones, each dropping with a note of finality.

"No. I simply don't care. If I can look past it, so can you." Orihime's light, even voice replied instantly, and the arrancar was thrown by the playfulness he heard in the inflection. What was she getting at…?

"I thought you'd already held world war III with yourself over this? Isn't that why you're back?"

Cold determination played across Ulquiorra's sharp features, the bearer of the warring feelings for once not hiding it. She would acknowledge that he wasn't human- he would make sure of this- but what would come of it?

"I have killed. I will eventually have to do so again to hold my place of trust within these walls, until the opportunity for an….easier route emerges. Does that mean nothing?"

Orihime tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at his words.

"You didn't know kindness, and I highly doubt you were aware of free will either. Those aren't excuses, but think- atoning for all that won't be simple, but dying needlessly in this army is a coward's way out. You aren't a coward, are you?" At this Orihime brought up a hand to easily brush the dangerous blade aside, it lowering to rest its tip on the white marble floor with an almost imperceptible _"tk."_

"This will be frowned upon, you are aware? If not before branded a traitor, if unable to convince your "friends" of your continued loyalty to them, you will certainly be considered one now. _You_ should be the indecisive one, not myself." Ulquiorra slipped the Zanpakutō back in its sheath, feeling the katana stew at him for his outright aggression towards her, but reluctantly knowing that sugarcoating reality under a veil of fantasy would do neither any good.

Catching a lock of sun between his fingers, he observed it unabashedly. There was a time when the color had made him nearly flinch from the stark contrast it had against everything else here, but now he could hardly imagine ever seeing a shade of orange and _not_ comparing it to Orihime's. He felt a warm hand take his own, and enjoyed the contact he hadn't known he'd been waiting for.

The silence twisted between them like a serpent, twining through the air and baring its fangs, daring either to break it. Its fangs were effectively shattered when Orihime huffed, tossed her hair over her shoulder and out of his light grip, and demanded "You know I'm aware of all that. What are you waiting for, then? This is turning into a staring conte-"

She was quickly silenced by the black lips pressing against her own, but with an underlying caution- as though she would either break or disappear if he weren't gentle enough. The difference in height was amended by the Espada leaning down slightly, before he broke away and rested his forehead against her shoulder, feeling her fingers work their way through his hair and not even twitching when they came into contact with the fractured edge of his mask.

"Are all humans as odd as you, so as to care for an arrancar?" The question was posed quietly, an echo of the question asked months before yet with an entirely different ending, while his arms gently looped around her waist. A short "hm" noise was made, and just as expected, an explanation immediately followed.

"…No. I think, just this one is."

* * *

Sorry for the shortness, but I personally think it was written really well. Unless you disagree, feel free to review or drop me a PM giving constructive criticism why. I'd love it. I MAY do a sequel, I may not. We'll see- it all depends on if I can come up with a good plot that doesn't sit around collecting dust and also doesn't move too quickly. Now, reviews time! *insert cheers and garbage here*

Chapter 1 reviews I missed: **Xylexia:** Hahaha, thank you for the funny review. I'm glad xD **TheAnimeOtaku XD:** I'm a stickler for correct grammar and spelling- fics that are like "they was played the games" make me want to cry D: (because a good beta reader for those people could turn a mind numbing fic into a really good one, potentially.) And even if my fics get stumped by a writers block for a long time, I _never_ forget about them or abandon them. Unfinished fics make me sad as well : Chapter 2 reviews I missed: **Xylexia:** I just didn't want to overdo it is all- I thought it was fine the way it was :3 Chapter 3 reviews I missed: **Xylexia:** Yeah, he's not too good at it so he just lets Orihime talk for the most part XP Lul sorry, but I thought it would be funny (being rivals and all) and I always figured they should be able to- if their Zanpakutō are like Shinigami's, well, they should be able to talk too. (just my take on things though, I'm sure other people think differently) **TheAnimeOtaku XD:** Haha xD

Chapter 4 reviews: **Deviltrigger Dante:** Sorry it took so long and there's so little to show for it. ;~; Maybe I'll start completing fics, THEN uploading chapters... **GirlLoki:** Oh my, that's a lot of writing. I'll see what I feel like doing with this in the future, if anything. It'll be fine remaining the way it is, but hm. You never know. **animefan1929: **Ah, that there is nice and simple. Yes, I do believe I'll continue to do just that, thank you :3 **soulspirit18:** If you thought that was short, then this is definitely minuscule in comparison *dodges thrown things* Sorry! D: Lul the kitchen scene |D that was fun to write. **Xylexia: **Yes, fluff is good (so long as it's not, like, teeth rotting-ly OOC fluffy.) Sorry for the late...er, _very_ late update *shot* **Akatsukifan10: **You realize the genre is _romance/humor_, right? I did try to draw more attention to Ulquiorra's bad ass side in this chapter though, I hope you found that acceptable. And thank you very much for the compliment :) Hm... if what you're looking for is a fic just about Ulquiorra, I may do one of those some day... *ponders* **LovetheWords:** Haaah, then you'll hate this chapter. Unless not getting caught by Aizen counts as an obstacle, which I doubt... *flimsy excuses* D: And I dunno, maybe they just send lesser arrancar out to go collect food and batteries and all that crap for them? xD **anony:** Sorry for the not updating it soon part *shot* D: but thank you :3 **TheAnimeOtaku XD:** I just may do that, yes...depends on my motivation, plot, etc. That and I have a bunch of honors courses in school, so who knows how much time I'll have for fun things like writing... :/

Blaaaagh, sorry for the shortnessss for the millionth time, but it's likely I'll go back and lengthen it later. IF I can compile some sort of well written thing to fill in, that is. Reviews are loved, constructive criticism is loved, and due to the shortness of the chapter, bashing me about its shortness would be no less than I deserved |D Thank you for sticking with me! I really do think I'll simply complete fics before uploading them in the future, that way its impossible to be late... Hnnngh, this chapter was so damn short... *goes to grumble in corner* _Gotta_ fix that... _


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